Insider Says Canadiens Rebuild Done After Deal For 19-Goal 1st Round Center

In what one Canadiens insider calls “another sign that the rebuilding phase is over in Montreal,” the Habs on Tuesday traded away a defenseman who was simply a spare part after another recent move and brought in a possible top-six center in 2021 St.Louis Blues first-round draft pick Zachary Bolduc.

Bolduc was picked 17th overall and made his debut on February 22, 2024. He scored his first goal in the next game, two nights later, and has gone on to score 24 goals in his first 97 NHL games, including 19 in 2024-2025, his official rookie season.

The move was made possible, or even necessary, by a higher-profile deal just four days earlier when the Canadiens acquired six-year veteran blueliner Noah Dobson, trading forward Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders.

Bolduc Looks to Move Up to Top Six Status

The Canadiens had a need to fill the vacancy left by Heineman’s departure, and at the same time could now afford to shed a defenseman thanks to the addition of Dobson — who Montreal quickly locked up with an eight-year, $76 million contract.

That expendable defenseman turned out to be Logan Mailloux, another 2021 first-round pick taken 14 slots after Bolduc. But Mailloux was never able to find ice time in Montreal, playing just eight games over two seasons, with two goals and two assists.

Mailloux was drafted under unfortunate circumstances as well, due to a scandal in which he was accused of sexual misconduct over an intimate photo of himself with a young woman which he is alleged to have inappropriately shared with teammates.

The incident happened in Sweden, and Mailloux was fined in that country, though not arrested, and then suspended by the Ontario Hockey League where he was set to play the 2021-2022 season for the London Knights.

Mailloux was publicly repentant, and participated in a therapy program after he was drafted by the Canadiens. But he could not catch on as a player with the storied franchise, and is now a member of the St. Louis Blues.

Canadiens in Position For Deep Playoff Run, Expert Says

“The Canadiens were attempting to turn their surplus on defense to address a shortage at forward, and the Dobson acquisition made it more unlikely that Mailloux was going to get a foothold on the right side of the blue line.

“They were hoping to bolster their top six in a trade, and maybe one day, Bolduc can become that, seeing as he’s only 22 and scored 19 goals as a rookie,” wrote Arpon Basu of The Athletic. “However, replacing Heineman was an essential move for them, and this accomplishes that.”

Meanwhile, the additions of Dobson and Bolduc mean that after missing the playoffs for three years on row, the 24-time champion Canadiens are ready to compete again, according to insider Ken Campbell of The Hockey News.

“This team has – and should have – designs on making noise in the Eastern Conference,” Campbell wrote on Tuesday. “Now that they’ve made the playoffs and meekly bowed out in the first round, next on the docket is being competitive in Round One and possibly even winning it. Then you continue the process until you’re a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.”

The Canadiens will be hoping that they are getting the version of Bolduc who finally showed up late in the season, scoring 13 goals and 18 points in his final 24 games for the Blues, who also bowed out in the first round this season after missing out on postseason play for two years.

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